NZ Xmas a culture shock
It still doesn’t feel right to celebrate Christmas in the summer, says transplanted Gilles Thebault, who runs the Le PanierBoulangerie bakery in Christchurch. And barbecue for Christmas dinner? He shrugs in a puzzled, resigned way.
He’s been here since the early 2000s, and he says ‘‘with all respect to my mother-in-law’’, his first Kiwi Christmas on a hot day with a ham ‘‘stuck with cloves and pineapple things’’ and a pavlova was a bit of a culture shock.
To explain why, here’s his memory of childhood Christmases growing up in Brittany.
For a start, they celebrated the big family Christmas dinner on the evening of December 24 and into the early hours of Christmas Day.
‘‘They would force us [kids] to have a nap in the afternoon.’’ Meanwhile, his grandmother and mother were preparing for the big feast to come.
Dinner started with Champagne and canapes – the toppings might be things such as salmon, salty butter from Brittany and fish roe.
Another drink was kir royale – Champagne mixed with a blackcurrant liqueur (creme de cassis).
Being in Brittany, of course oysters appeared – the famous flat, fat Belon-style served in the shell, ‘‘then typically a small plate of foie gras with figs and a bit of lettuce’’.
The rich foie gras (duck liver) would be bought fresh and cooked at home.
White wine was served with the oysters. The main course would be roast turkey or beef, plus roast vegetables. A good bottle of red wine was served with the main – Christmas alternated between his father’s and uncle’s places, and it would be a burgundy (pinot noir) at his dad’s, and a bordeaux (cabernet blend) at his uncle’s.
After the main came cheese platters and bread, and more oysters topped with a red wine and chopped shallot vinaigrette, served with a very thick dark rye bread and butter.
Then it was off to church to celebrate midnight mass.
Back home about 1am came the long-awaited opening of presents and then dessert – usually a decorated traditional log called a buche noel and more drinks – digestives such as armagnac and cognac, followed by coffees. Then it was off to bed in the early hours of Christmas Day, feasting and celebrations complete.
They’d eat a thick vegetable soup, then andouille – a sausage that includes pig tripe – for Christmas Day lunch, then eat another meal again at night.
‘‘It was only once a year,’’ he says of the vast amount they consumed.
Thebault says while food was a big part of it, it wasn’t really talked about as much as it is now. It was just food that was always there.
‘‘We got this from that farm, we get this from that farm, we take the cheese from the cheesemonger, and just put it together.’’ There was no supermarket shopping. ‘‘I’ve been here 12, 13 years, and I still don’t get it – a warm Christmas. It’s not the same. Barbecue at Christmas, that’s weird.’’
This year, he’ll have veal from Central Otago, salads, and mince pies, and a good bottle of wine. Filling
❚ 1 teaspoon gelatin
❚ 1 tablespoon cold water
❚ cup whole milk
❚ vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped
❚ 2 large egg yolks
❚ 1 tablespoon sugar
❚ cup cream
❚ 1 cup pitted brandied cherries, drained
Topping
❚ 1 cup cream
❚ 11⁄2 teaspoons icing sugar
❚ Cocoa powder, for sifting
Cake:
Preheat the oven to 190 degrees Celsius. Line a 23cm by 33cm by 5cm tin with baking paper.
Beat egg yolks with six tablespoons of sugar until pale and fluffy. Beat egg whites and salt until soft peaks form. Gradually add the remaining six tablespoons of sugar and continue beating until the whites are stiff and glossy.
Using a rubber spatula, stir a quarter of the beaten whites into the yolk mixture, then fold in the remaining whites until no streaks remain. Working in two batches, sift the cocoa over the batter and fold gently until fully incorporated. Spread the batter on the prepared baking sheet in an even layer. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until the cake feels springy and dry. Transfer to a rack and let cool completely.
Filling:
For the syrup, boil water and sugar over high heat. Reduce heat to moderate and simmer just until the sugar is dissolved, about one minute. Remove from the heat and stir in the kirsch.
In a small, microwave-safe bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over the water and let stand until softened. In a small saucepan, combine the milk with the vanilla bean and seeds and bring to a simmer over moderately high heat. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks with sugar.
When the milk comes to a simmer, discard the vanilla bean. Slowly whisk the milk into the yolk mixture until thoroughly blended. Transfer the mixture to the saucepan and cook over moderately low heat, stirring constantly, until the custard is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon, about 1 to 2 minutes. Strain the custard into a medium bowl.
Melt the gelatin in the microwave for 15 seconds, then stir it into the custard and let cool. Whip the cream until firm. Stir a quarter of the whipped cream into the custard until incorporated, then fold in remaining whipped cream. Assemble:
Remove cake from tin. Lay on baking paper and brush kirsch syrup evenly over cake to soak.
Spread the filling evenly on the cake. Scatter the cherries over the filling. Use the baking paper to carefully roll the cake to form a 33cm log with the seam on the bottom. Fold the baking paper over the log so the ends meet. Using a ruler, squeeze the cake in the parchment to tighten the roll. Refrigerate for at least one hour.
Just before serving, make the topping. Whip the cream with the icing sugar until firm. Transfer the cake to a serving platter and cover with the whipped cream. Sift the cocoa powder on top. Slice and serve.